Lost Cheesy Grins
by asterisque
Summary: NaruIno: Sasuke and Sakura were getting married... They were hurting, but all they could do was watch... Then, in an unexpected turn, found a path to each other’s hearts in a way they never thought possible... Ino had found his lost cheesy grins...


**Disclaimer: I dun own Naruto. **

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**A/N: For all you NaruIno(mostly) and SasuSaku fans. Actually this one-shot has been swirling around in my head for some time now and yeah here it finally is! **

**SONG FROM NARUTO: **_**Hajimete Kimi To Shabetta**_** (I Talked To You For The First Time) **_**By **__**Gagagasp**_

**DEDICATION: For ****Dawny****!! (I know I promised this to you ages ago but here it finally is!)**

**Enjoy!**

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**A Rank Mission: Lost Cheesy Grins.**

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_I talked to you for the first time, you smiled at me...  
I was able to talk to you for the first time, with these words..._

_-_

They should've been happy…

But they weren't.

Sasuke was his best friend and Sakura was hers.

And they were getting married... Today...

All Naruto and Ino could do was silently watch...

-

_Words give me trouble all the time  
But it's also always words that save me  
I don't care if someone laughs at me  
I have the fact that I was able to talk to you_

-

After twelve years of crushing plus eleven years of loving he stood there, silent, waiting, and in pain.

Azure eyes stared at the man that would soon become the love of _his_ life's husband.

Uchiha Sasuke. Best friend. Bastard.

He was supposed to be happy for them. But he wasn't.

Sasuke had come back to Konoha all due to Sakura's persuasion. He'd defeated Orochimaru and in turn with Naruto's and Konoha's help finally overpowered Itachi and the Akatsuki.

The sharingan wielder had slowly, but surely, came around and finally succumbs to his _feelings._

But Naruto knew better...

Sasuke didn't deserve someone like her. Not someone like Sakura-chan.

He knew he wanted her for the 'resurrection' of his stupid clan.

One day, that bastard will make her regret ever marrying him, because he will break her.

Does Sasuke even love Sakura?

Who knows.

Naruto wouldn't be surprised if even _Sakura_ didn't know whether or not he loved her.

Naruto shook out of his reverie when several gasps echoed the room. He moved his gaze to the centre of everyone's attention.

Cerulean eyes widened.

An angel slowly moved towards him.

Step by step. Little by little.

His heart torn with every step she took.

She was glowing. The vision in white, radiating off this pleasant glow that captured everyone's heart. She looked even more beautiful than the day she saved his life with all the chakra she had left.

And when she had finally reached _him, _Sasuke reached for her hand and pulled her closer.

Naruto was almost positive she had tears gathered in her deep green orbs.

Before she did anything else she turned her head to him.

_-  
_  
_I'm in a great mood, just because of that  
But you don't think of me in any way – that hurts_

-

The blonde man offered her a small encouraging smile, but inside he could feel his heart contracting.

Sakura smiled at his smile.

_Please don't smile at me like that. _

Slowing her pink head turned away.

He watched as Sasuke looked down at her. There was something in his eyes, the way he was looking at the small girl... he couldn't find a word for it.

Then it hit him. Realization dawned on him. The kyuubi vessel had to blink twice before he actually believed what he was seeing.

The Uchiha bastard... he was looking at Sakura... with. . .

... in his eyes.

Naruto never thought such an emotion was even possible for the stoic man. But the way his dark eyes stared at her in utter adoration. The way his loving gaze was on her and only her... said so otherwise. So he does have a heart.

Naruto sadly grinned in comprehension.

_Have I ever looked at you like that Sakura-chan? _

Then came the two small words that would seal his fate forever...

"_I DO." _

His heart sank.

_**Sakura-chan I ...**_

**-**

_I talked to you for the first time..  
__...You smiled at me...  
I was able to talk to you for the first time..._

**-**

She watched as they danced, gracefully spinning across the floor.

They looked so content.

Happy...

But she couldn't help but not be happy for them.

It was every human's right to be able to feel envious and maybe a little selfish at times.

Even when they were little she knew this day would come.

If there was one thing in life she couldn't compete with Sakura. It was for Sasuke's love.

He held her, close. Strong arms tightly around her waste. Perfectly leading her to the rhythm of the music.

How she wished she was the pink haired at that moment.

What she had for him wasn't a crush like everyone thought. She loved him truly and honestly.

-

_Would you get annoyed if someone like me started talking to you?  
That was the anxiety I carried around with me, but I tried to get up some courage  
I'm not good at talking, and my words were clumsy  
_

-

And ... Seeing them together like this made her heart clench and ache in a pain she never knew. She wanted to cry. But she couldn't.

_Are you going to cry on your best friend's wedding day Ino?_

Sometimes she had wondered why he chose Sakura instead of her. They had both loved him all their lives.

But when she looked at the couple again... her answers were definitely confirmed.

Sakura's pink lips...

... they were curved into a beautiful breath-taking smile.

The blonde woman sadly smiled.

_Have I ever smiled at you like that Sasuke-kun? _

She immediately turned away when their head moved closer and closer, finally locking together in a sweet, passionate kiss.

Her heart shattered into a million pieces.

_**Sasuke-kun ...**_

_-_

_I was able to talk to you for the first time..._

_-_

_-X-_

_-_

"Naruto!" A voiced called out at him. He looked up to find _familiar_ blue eyes.

Very familiar blue eyes starring down at him.

"Ino!" he forced a cheerful smile. He hadn't seen her in awhile. He had been busy doing pre-Hokage stuff. And she was too busy with her Jounin team on missions here and there. But they had become a bit closer during a mission a few years back.

She grinned back. She knew he was hurting if not as much, then more than she was. She knew Naruto had loved Sakura all his life.

And she saw Sakura loved him back just as much. Just not in the way he'd hoped for.

Maybe she should cheer him up a bit.

"Wanna dance?" She feigned her usual perky voice and grabbed and lifted up one of his hands.

Naruto's eyes widen.

He doesn't KNOW how to dance!

"Ino-chan! Wait—" he began to protest but the blonde woman had already pulled him to the floor.

"Oh c'mon! This is wedding. Don't be such a downie!" She gave him the best smile she could muster.

"But I don't how—" He began again.

"Pfft!" She waved him off. "I'll lead!"

Naruto looked at her in disapproval.

"_Men _are supposed to _lead._" He said stubbornly like a child.

For the first time in a long time...

She laughed.

Naruto grinned slightly. She had a nice laugh.

"Mmm. Okay." She pulled him closer and put her hands on his shoulders, and hesitatingly guided his hands to her waist.

They swayed slowly to the melodic beat.

"So," Ino started breaking the silence. "Are you _okay?_"

"Eh? What are you talking about?" Naruto closed his eyes and faked light chuckle. He decided to play the 'idiot card.'

But honestly, who did he think he was dealing with here?

Ino sighed sadly. And decided that silence would be better for the both of them.

They knew they were both acting out of character. But things like these will take time to heal...

He wasn't Naruto anymore. She inwardly shook her head. He was still Naruto. Just not the _boy_ Naruto. The old Naruto would've been the first to jump up and bust a move, no matter how stupid he looked. The old one would've gave her that...

...Cheesy grin... and take up her dancing offer in a second.

Naruto looked down at the woman in this arms. He sadly smiled at her, although she couldn't see it.

He appreciated her trying to cheer him up and all.

But he wondered, behind that façade...

_Who was the one suffering more?_

"It's okay to cry." He told her softly.

"What?" She looked up at him. Her eyes already glisten with unshed tears.

"Sakura... Sakura-chan always said it was okay to show emotions..." The blonde man grinned at her, his eyes shinier than ever.

_Tears. _

She bit her lip starring up at Naruto.

_Why aren't _you_ letting them down?_

Slowly, one by one, salty drops descend from her closed azure eyes. She clenched his shirt in her hands before burying her head in his chest. The weeping girl bit her lip harder, trying to suppress the cries that escaped her mouth.

Naruto stiffened. He hadn't expected her to do that.

But unconsciously an arm wound around her anyway.

It was that moment he realized what the familiar thing in her eyes was...

It wasn't the colour, or the way it used to sparkle whenever they smiled, or how deep it was...

It was the same sadness and heartbreak and they both felt. The pain that torment their hearts.

-

_-_

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They didn't keep count of how any days it had been since Sakura and Sasuke's wedding but some afternoon later, he offered to walk her home. She offered him to come in for a drink.

That night...

He never made it back out her front door.

_-_

_-X-_

_-_

They didn't know how long it had been since the... _affair _started.

Some nights she would be with him. Other nights him with her.

He didn't know what he was doing.

Neither did she.

They both had no idea what they were.

Acquaintances... Definitely not.

Friends... No.

Lovers... Not quite.

For sometime in their pain they had found comfort in each other's arms.

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months...

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And she knew.

Again.

She had fallen.

_-_

_-X-_

_-_

"What?" Sakura incredulously asked her shishou.

"Remember you're first out-of-Konoha mission? C ranked? Or so it was supposed to be." Tsunade gave her a quick glance.

"The 'Great Naruto Brigde' you help Tazuna-san build?"

"He's still _alive_?!" Naruto joked in mock amazement. Laughter filled the room.

"You want us to go back there?"

"There have been some rumors about another secret ninja organization, planning to take over hidden mist."

"Why there?" Sakura asked in everyone's stead.

"Because it's the smallest." Tsunade looked down at the sheet in her hands.

"I don't understand what you want us to do..." Sakura admitted to her master.

"I'm sending a group of you to live and protect in hidden mist."

"How long?" The cherry blossom girl asked again. That was so like Sakura.

Tsunade sighed. Damn her for being such a good teacher. Who the hell would take the mission if she'd told them how long...

"It could be weeks..." She paused before deciding to tell the truth. "... or it could be years... basically until all leads and threats have vanished. We have no idea who these rebel ninjas are..."

Naruto had decided to stop listening and snorted, loudly and in a sense of laughter. He brought up his hands and placed them behind his head.

"Haha. Oba-chan! Who would take such a bullshit mission?!" he grinned at her playfully.

At that second, Ino had saw a flicker of the old Naruto. It came as fast as it went.

The Hokage glared at Naruto and then smirked.

"Naruto, Tazuna-san had personally requested that you be part of the team."

Naruto's face didn't falter one bit. He just stood there and laughed nervously, a few people snickering along with him...

His expression remained unfazed. As if ...

Her sky blue eyes widened.

As if...

He couldn't possibly...

As if he already knew he was going.

"We're not going." This time it was Sasuke who spoke. Plain and simple. He had his arms wrapped around his wife from behind.

"I wasn't going to _let_ you two go anyway." Tsunade countered motioning to Sakura's bulging stomach.

The rosette woman giggled when Sasuke had teasingly poked the swell of her tummy. She playfully smacked his hand away in return.

Soon after everyone that was gather there started sprouting their own reason of why they couldn't take up the mission.

A vein throbbed Tsunade's head.

"Well someone's gonna have to go!"

_-_

_-X-_

_-_

"You're going aren't you!" She'd manage to confront him at last, putting her hands on her hips, a displeased look on her flawless face.

"I saw you talking with hokage-sama!"

"Ino—" he began but was immediately interrupted.

"I want to know why."

"I never said I was going!" Naruto sang out.

She glared at him.

He was keeping her out of the loop. He always kept her out of the loop.

"But you are! I just... want to know why?"

Naruto sighed and genuinely smiled at her.

"I know what you want. And I can't give you that."

Her faced had immediately softened. She almost felt her heart breaking all over again.

Was this how Sakura felt when she tried to stop Sasuke?

"All I want is for you to be here." She told him firmly.

…………………….

Naruto was looking at her with a blank stare.

-

"_Naruto. What I said earlier was true. Tazuna, personally asked if you could come."_

"_I know it was oba-chan."_

"_So, you're going right."_

"_...well if no one else is..."_

-

Out of the blue, he grinned at the pretty blonde woman playfully.

"Are you sure that's all you want?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"What are you saying?" She almost spat at him.

"I'm asking if that's _really_ all you want Ino-chan!" His grin widened.

She could not believe this. Ino turned around and began to walk away but was stopped by his strong arms.

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"_...well if no one else is..."_

"_Mm?"_

"_...then why should _I_ have to goooo!?"_

"_Naruto..."_

"_Sorry oba-chan there's something more important to me right now..."_

_Tsunade smiled. _

-

Naruto suddenly erupted in honest laughter. One of his arms was pulling her closer and the other was at the back of his head ruffling up his hair. A wide cheesy smile on his lips, he had never looked so happy in such a long time.

She smiled a breathtaking smile.

Out of the loop or not. She knew it was definitely something good.

She watched as the boy Naruto resurfaced for the first time in a long time.

It was then, they both remembered something they had vowed at their best friend's wedding...

…

_**Sakura-chan... Sasuke-kun... I'm letting you go...**_

…

He pulled her closer, embraced her tighter, nuzzling his wiskered-scarred face in the warm crook of her neck.

And...

At that moment...

There's was nothing in the world that they both wanted more.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Because at last...

Ino had finally found Naruto's lost cheesy grins.

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**_Eyecatch!_** The sun descended half way down the golden horizen. Two blonde headed figures sat at Ichiraku ramen stand with a massive pile of empty bowls on the table. The woman had her head in her hands disbelievingly. The man was eagerly slurping down his beef ramen. — _Old habits die hard._

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OWARI.

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**A/N: Was this pointless? –sigh- I dunno. But hmm it didn't come out as good as I hoped it would've but thx so much for reading!**

**I hope everyone wasn't too OOC. I tried my best to keep them in character. (noticeably more in the end than the start) It was supposed to show how they slowly recovered. And I know it was moving a bit fast. But yeah I didn't want to make it into a chapter fic! (I have too many right now!)**

**Well, Please Add this to any possible C2s:D**

**Please review. Review. Review!**


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